What Happens If Rauner Busts The Unions?

By Robert T. Starks

Defender Contributing Writer

The state budget stalemate continues because Republican Governor Bruce Rauner won’t work with the Democrats in Springfield on a deal until they accept his Turnaround Agenda, which includes measures that Rauner believes will bring prosperity to Illinois.

But the Turnaround Agenda is decidedly anti-labor and demands changes to union collective bargaining laws. Rauner wants to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of unions, starting with the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) workers who work in the bowels of the state and local government. This would include teachers in the Chicago Public Schools.

Secondly, he wants to establish Right to Work zones throughout the state so that municipalities can, if they choose, eliminate unions within private corporations and in local governments.

This would be especially damaging to the building trades unions since Rauner would also like to eliminate the prevailing wage rule that legally requires state and local governments to pay building trade workers the prevailing wage rate.

Third, he wants to make state and local workers pay more money into their pension. This is the fight that is affecting the Chicago Teachers Union at the moment.

Fortunately, the court recently ruled to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that the pension agreement that was established years ago cannot be tampered with.

But if anyof Rauner’s union-busting measures get through, the effect on Black workers, of course, would be more than detrimental.

The first and most direct group to be affected would be the Chicago Teachers Union. Further, Rauner’s actions would do nothing to speed up the entry of African Americans into the craft and building trades, which is the biggest problem for Black workers.

It is unmistakable that Black workers would be worse off without unions and the benefit protections that they provide. In fact, the existence of the Black middle class is dependent upon the maintenance of unions and the benefits that they accrue.

Unions, of course, are legally organized collectives whose purpose is to protect the interests of laborers. This means that unions, by virtue of their collective bargaining efforts are able to gain benefits that workers desire.

Unions bargin for cost of living increases, raises in pay, pension benefits, health care benefits, and other benefits that are usually unavailable to non-union workers.

Blacks And Unions

Since it was African labor that built the foundation of this nation during slavery days, since the end of the legal slave regime in 1865, during the Reconstruction era, throughout the Jim Crow era and ever since, Blacks have fought to establish protections for their labor, the benefits of fair wages, and dignity in the work place.

In 1869, African American workers entered the labor movement as a legal national entity with the formation of the Colored National Labor Union under the direction of Issac Myers. This was after they were denied membership in the existing unions of the day.

Afterward, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, in a period of rapid industrialization in the country, Black workers were often used as strikebreakers when white workers went out on strike.

The reality is that this was the only entry point for many Black workers into these industries – the steelworkers, mineworkers, autoworkers, transport workers, and the packinghouse workers. In Chicago, that included the meat packing industry because Chicago was the “hog butcher and meat packing capital of the world.”

It was not until 1937 that the valiant fighter A. Philip Randolph was finally able to gain official recognition for the first 20th Century Black union, The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP).

Founded under the leadership of Randolph in 1925, this union represented over 20,000 men at the height of cross country train travel in the 1920s. BSCP was eventually able to join the AFL-CIO and was represented on its national board.

For the first time in this nation, the BSCP union provided a group of Black men security, decent wages, and a platform from which to fight for civil and political rights.

The service, industrial, and government unions were the first unions to come under federal government scrutiny and oversight.

It was the first March On Washington in 1941, led by A. Philip Randolph, that forced President Franklin D. Roosevelt to establish the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC).

On June 25, 1941, President Roosevelt signed the executive order creating the FEPC and banning discrimination in any defense industries or government because of race, creed, color, or national origin.

The FEPC was given the authority to investigate complaints of discrimination and to take action against companies that were found guilty of violations.

Because of the FEPC, Blacks were able to enter many industries that had previously barred them from employment and because of the CIO’s push for Black union involvement, Black union membership rose dramatically.

But dissension and rancor after World War II about allowing Blacks into unions did not cease. In fact, it became even more strident because of the onset of the Civil Rights Movement that coincided with the merger of the CIO with the AFL to form the AFL-CIO in 1955.

So it is not possible to separate the Civil Rights Movement from the fight for equal rights in the work place on the part of Blacks.

The 1963 March On Washington – led by the “Big Six” leaders of the NAACP, CORE, SNCC, NUL, Dr. Martin Luther King of SCLC and A. Philip Randolph of the BSCP – was a march for jobs and freedom. The major jobs demand was for a minimum wage of $2 an hour and a ban on discrimination in hiring. The 1963 March on Washington set the pace that has continued today. Fights for labor have automatically echoed civil rights and vice versa. This dual fight has been evident in Chicago more than almost any other city in the country.

Primarily because Chicago has been an industrial town that has had labor and civil rights disputes from its beginning, Black leaders have always coupled the two and defined them as one in the same.

CTU’s Day of Action

This coupling is evident today as community and labor groups will join the Chicago Teachers Union on April 1 in “A Day of Action” in a fight for teachers’ rights and adequate funding of the public schools.

The coalition of groups that will join this “Day of Action” includes unions and organizations from the Transit Union, University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100, Fight for $15, the SEIU, Black Youth Project 100 and several religious and civil rights organizations.

While many Blacks legitimately complain about the discrimination against Blacks in the crafts and trades unions, they paint all unions with this same brush.

It is true that while Blacks have clear complaints against all unions, the concentration of Blacks in the service and government unions has helped in raising the living standards of the Black community.

It is clear that the bulk of the Black middle class today owes its ability to remain relatively stable economically to their employment in the service and government sectors.

This is clearly attested to by Mack Julian, president of the Postal Workers Union in Chicago. Black postal workers and Pullman Porters were the first group of unionized Black workers to provide the foundation of the Black middle class.

The University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education in an April, 2013 study called “Data Brief: Blacks in Unions: 2012” stated that, “A greater proportion of Black workers were union members compared to the proportion of non-Black workers who were union members.

“In 2012, 13 percent of all Black workers in the United States were union members, while 11 percent of non-Black workers in the United States were union members.”

The highest proportion of Blacks in unions was concentrated in the 10 most populated metropolitan areas where there were no Right to Work laws that outlawed unions. Further, the bulk of these workers were located in the service and government sectors.

“The most recent data suggest that unionization substantially improves the pay and benefits received by Black workers,” says a Center for Economic and Policy Research study from April 2008.

Further, this study showed that “On average, unionization raised Black workers’ wages 12 percent – about two dollars per hour – relative to Black workers with similar characteristics who were not in unions.”

This study also stated the reality of pension and health benefits that are afforded to unions that are not always provided to non-union workers.

A Fight For Viability

Harold Rogers of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists says, “Unionization has afforded Blacks job protection and job stability. Black teachers and even garbage collectors who work in their jobs for 25 years and retire can live comfortably for the rest of their lives as a result of the collective bargaining agreements that unions provide.”

Eddie Read, founder and president of the United Independent Workers, Inc. is in the thick of the fight to get Black craft and trade workers more solidly embedded into the building trades.

He says “We are still in the fight to get the AFL-CIO to enforce its non-discrimination policies and bring more Blacks into the building trades. We need more training and apprenticeship programs targeted to Black youths. My union needs the health and benefits package that is guaranteed by the AFL-CIO.”

Larry Thomas, business agent of the Painter’s Union, which was chartered in 1920 in Chicago as a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, is a major advocate of Black inclusion in the trade unions.

His local of the Painters Union is one of the oldest and largest Black trade unions in the city. Thomas says, “I would like to see the trades come back to Dunbar High School and an increase in the trades training at Dawson Tech.

“We need these institutions to be functional and successful to get our young people into these high paying jobs. At the same time, our youths must be willing to take advantage of the opportunities that we are fighting to provide for them.”

Jaquie Algee, Vice President of her Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local and Director of External Relations, has been an outspoken advocate of labor rights and civil rights throughout her career. She supports the Chicago Teachers Union in their fight for school funding and better working conditions for teachers.

“One of my proudest moments was when I participated in the election of Mayor Harold Washington,” Algee says. She estimates that the Chicago Black SEIU membership is around 80 percent Black, 15 percent Latino, and five percent Asian.

These members include home care and health care workers, adjunct professors, hotel workers, non-teachers in CPS, and daycare workers. “We have been involved in the ‘Fight for $15’ and in support of the McDonald’s workers,” Algee says.

“We are also in the fight to force Gov. Rauner and the state legislature to pass a budget so that the social services and our schools can be properly funded.”

Rose Daylie of AFSCME has been in the labor movement for more than 40 years and is now the First Vice President of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL). Daylie and the CFL have loudly protested the lack of an Illinois state budget and the resulting effects on the citizens most in need of the services provided by the budget.

Daylie says “While AFSCME is primarily concerned about the needs of our members who work in government, we are just as concerned about the fate of those Thousands of Black youths that are unemployed and hanging on street corners.

“We are concerned that the Governor wants to tamper with the benefits of AFSCME workers who make the state, county, and municipal governments run. We have joined with the other organizations to fight this dangerous move.”

Many feel that while it is right to protest Rauner’s stance, at the same time, the fight must continue for Black entrance into the craft and trade unions in view of the massive increase in building and repairs of the nation’s infrastructure that will be in place in the near future.

Breakthroughs in this sector are necessary for the Black community to survive and move from the overall low-income status that most of it now occupies to bringing more African Americans up to middle-class status. African Americans have to be represented in all labor sectors in order to have a viable community.

If Gov. Rauner has his way with his Turnaround Agenda and erodes the power of unions, there may be a smaller Black middle class and a less economically viable Black community than what already exists right now.

The United States Justice Department’s handling of the recent Cleveland, Ohio and Seattle, Washington consent decrees.

Cleveland, Ohio

Despite having paid a visit to Cleveland, Ohio, many years prior to its current 2015 consent decree; Cleveland policing actually got worse due to one major mistake. There was no federally mandated oversight prescribed as part of a previous 2004 consent decree! You read that correctly. Cleveland had already been under a federal consent decree more than a decade earlier. If federal monitoring had been included, Tamir Rice could’ve possibly been prevented. However, the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) was left to monitor its own progress according to a report issued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

The report published on December 4, 2014, by the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ, the report chronicles Cleveland’s Division of Police troubling history as it struggles its way into transparency and accountability. The report addressed to Cleveland’s current Mayor, Frank G. Jackson, opens up with blatant admissions by the DOJ

“We have concluded that we have reasonable cause to believe that CDP engages in a pattern or practice of the use of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution. We have determined that structural and systemic deficiencies and practices—including insufficient accountability, inadequate training, ineffective policies, and inadequate engagement with the community—contribute to the use of unreasonable force.”

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

As reported by Cleveland.com, under an agreed upon first year plan, the police department is “..required to rewrite its mission statement,” and “..required to rewrite the use-of-force policy and have every officer trained.” Matthew Barge, the federal monitor appointed to oversee the consent decree informed U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr., who happens to be a Black judge.

The report also mentions the failures of the last consent decree back in 2004 with the DOJ and the reasons behind the failures.

“In 2002, we provided initial observations regarding CDP’s use of force and accountability systems and, in 2004, we recommended that the Division make changes to address some of the deficiencies we identified. CDP entered into an agreement with us, but that agreement was not enforced by a court and did not involve an independent monitor to assess its implementation. The agreement did require CDP to make a variety of changes, including revising its use of force policy and establishing new procedures for reviewing officer-involved shootings.”

Seattle, Washington

At the outset, the DOJ’s report to the Mayor of Seattle, Michael McGinn, dated December 16, 2011, at that time, laid the blame partially on the fact that one-third of Seattle’s police force is “less inexperienced” – three years or less on the force – soon to be over fifty percent inexperienced, once the retirees are replaced. This fact coupled with structural deficiencies in leadership, training, and supervision culminated in a climate of abuse within the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

The report continues: “ The great majority of the City’s police officers are honorable law enforcement professionals who risk their physical safety and well-being for the public good. However, a pattern of excessive force exists as a result of a subset of officers who use force improperly, and is caused by a number of systemic deficiencies that exist in spite of SPD’s recent reform efforts.”

Some of the deficiencies highlighted:

20% of excessive police force was deemed unconstitutional. 57% of baton usage by police was considered unnecessary or excessive. 61% of cases reviewed regarding multiple officers showed excessive force against a single person.

As part of its 2012 consent decree, the Seattle Police Department adopted the following use of force policy which was approved by Western District Court, Judge James Robart on December 17, 2013, as part of its Core Principles:

“When time, circumstances, and safety permit, Officers will take steps to gain compliance and de-escalate conflict without using physical force when safe under the totality of circumstances and time and circumstances permit. Officers shall use advisements, warnings, verbal persuasion, and other tactics in order to reduce the need to use force. Officers should consider whether a subject’s lack of compliance is a deliberate attempt to resist or an inability to comply based on factors including, but not limited to medical conditions, mental impairment, developmental disability, physical limitation, language barrier, drug interaction, or behavioral crisis.”

Seattle’s first female Police Chief, Kathleen O’Toole, who took office on June 2014, responded to the federal monitor’s 2016 report recounting the progress the SPD has made. She stated “officers used force against individuals in crisis less than two percent of the time, all officers have received some level of Crisis Intervention training, and SPD has placed an emphasis on guiding those in crisis to social services rather than to jail.

Chicago, Illinois

Attorney Tony Thedford, of The Law Office of Tony Thedford, P. C., which specializes in civil rights violations said: “I believe this is coming to Chicago.” His office had contact recently with the DOJ two weeks ago to discuss cases his firm has handled. “The DOJ is actively meeting with stakeholders, civil rights attorneys, criminal attorneys on both sides … and they’re piecing together their ongoing investigation.”

In particular, the DOJ inquired about the 2011, Calvin Cross case which the city of Chicago just settled last summer with Attorney Thedford’s office for two million dollars. In a much less sensationalized case, which received very little media coverage; the three Police Officers involved accused 19-year-old Cross of running away while shooting at them. In turn, they fired a total of 45 bullets at him including bullets from an assault rifle.

A ‘throw down’ gun was found about 1500 feet away from Cross’ body across the street which was ruled inoperable by the Illinois State Police forensic analysis, and contained no fingerprints nor was there any gun powder residue on Cross’ hands, according to Attorney Thedford.

“The officers received zero discipline and [one] received commendations about a year later. They were back on the streets within 48 hours which is deplorable. I don’t even understand how an employer would expect a person having gone through a traumatic event to be able to work in a dangerous environment using deadly force or having the ability to use deadly force, shortly after having used it,” he stated.

When asked about what reform would immediately benefit his clients he said “The fact that they’re pulling these guys off the street for 30 days now, I think is a start to fully investigate what happened. It’s real simple to me – if they really disciplined officers when they shoot someone and take them off the street, then the next officer would think twice.”

The DOJ’s investigation into Chicago Police patterns and practices that started late last year is anticipated to last about 1.5 years. Stay tuned…

]]>http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/23/consent-by-decree/feed/0imageskaielzdownload (1)Have You Seen This Personhttp://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/09/have-you-seen-this-person/
http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/09/have-you-seen-this-person/#respondWed, 09 Mar 2016 14:55:48 +0000http://chicagodefender.com/?p=155984]]>Suarez Family Ask for Your Help

By Ken Hare

Chicago Defender Staff Writer

On February 25, 2016, Jessica Suarez left her West Rogers Park home and went jogging along the lakefront according to surveillance video. That was the last time her family would see her alive. Now, they are asking the public for help in determining what happened to their daughter who hasn’t been seen since.

The 21-year-old is a graduate of Lane High School and is a student at Harold Washington College. She was last seen wearing a dark knit hat, white scarf and a brown cloth coat.

Her sister Maricela Suarez said “There’s someone out there that knows or has seen something. A person just can’t disappear, vanish into thin air.”

Chicago Police is investigating the matter and anyone with any information is asked to call them at 312-744-8261.

]]>http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/09/have-you-seen-this-person/feed/0jessicakaielzjessicaShiftgig, New On Demand Work Provider…http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/07/shiftgig-new-on-demand-work-provider/
http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/07/shiftgig-new-on-demand-work-provider/#respondMon, 07 Mar 2016 15:12:23 +0000http://chicagodefender.com/?p=155835]]>… Is In Big Demand

By Ken Hare

Chicago Defender Staff Writer

Information technology is really changing the landscape of how businesses and workers are interacting with one another. Shiftgig, a staffing company that provides on-demand workers for its clients is expanding in Chicago. It’s expanding its services to both new industries and clients and workers while growing its number of Chicago employees to 150, up from 55 a year ago.

Shiftgig is on track to be in up to 25 cities by the end of 2016 and workers are filling over 10,000 shifts a month said Eddie Lou, CEO and co-founder of the company. Eddie Lou says his online platform connects people and businesses in the service industry. Such an innovative approach to staffing allows people to be more in control of their lives and schedules according to an industry analyst.

According to market analyst, companies are looking for on-demand hourly workers and the trend is going to increase in the future. “There’s always going to be a demand for a temporary workforce … whether the economy is good or bad,” they said. Shiftgig has over 625 businesses in its network.

Larry Baxter, a trends analyst added “This is another wave of the future, an on-demand workforce.” You can visit their website here: https://www.shiftgig.com/

]]>http://chicagodefender.com/2016/03/07/shiftgig-new-on-demand-work-provider/feed/0sgkaielzsgFraternal Order of Policehttp://chicagodefender.com/2016/01/07/fraternal-order-of-police/
http://chicagodefender.com/2016/01/07/fraternal-order-of-police/#respondFri, 08 Jan 2016 01:14:02 +0000http://chicagodefender.com/?p=151890]]> Part I of III

Chicago Police BadgeA Three Part Series:

For the public to fully grasp what is currently taking place not only in Chicago but across the country when it comes to disciplining wayward police officers; one has to look no further than the Fraternal Order of Police contract with the city as the tail wagging the dog. The contract controls events whenever there is a police shooting or allegation of misconduct involving a police officer in Chicago, or mostly anywhere in America for that matter.

By way of background – The Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is a non-profit group organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 7, 1915.

On January 7, 1963, the Grand Lodge granted a charter to the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge No. 7, as a subordinate lodge with “full power” under its jurisdiction for the City of Chicago.

On August 19, 1981, Chicago police officers chose the FOP as their collective bargaining agent and its union for its current membership of 8,202 police officers, according to their website.

Fraternal Order of Police Logo

The Fraternal Order of Police is a national fraternal organization of sworn law enforcement officers with a reported membership over 325,000 strong, spread amongst 2,100 chapters, according to their website. Most, if not all local and state chapters (lodges) are organized under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

The FOP has both labor lodges and fraternal lodges and calls itself a “full-service member representation organization.” It not only provides labor representation, it also promotes legal defense for its members and even lobbies Congress and regulatory agencies on their behalf.

The FOP contract is one of four contracts that Chicago has with the police unions with each rank having its own contract. There’s the:

• And there’s the rank and file’s contract with the FOP, Chicago Lodge 7, which is 159 pages.

Devil’s In The Details

The Chicago Defender has examined the FOP contract and looked at some of its allegedly controversial provisions.

Referred to as the “Articles” some legal experts and defense attorneys point to them as underwriting the perceived “impunity” and “corrupt police culture” that is closely associated with police brutality in Chicago and nationally.

The current FOP contract with Chicago runs from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2017. It is a legally binding agreement that dictates what the Illinois Police Review Authority (IPRA), the Internal Affairs Department (IAD) and the Chicago Police Department (CPD) can and cannot do during an investigation that falls under their jurisdiction.

The FOP contract is 159 pages and contains 33 Articles that govern every aspect of an officer’s career. Like any other standard labor contract you’ll find provisions for wages and overtime pay (Articles 26 & 20), life and health provisions (Article 25), and dispute resolution (Article 28) – nothing unusual.

But appropriately titled “Bill of Rights” – Articles 6.1 – 6.12 and 8.1 – 8.8 are considered highly controversial by some and governs the discipline of police officers.

In the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald, former police Supt. Garry McCarthy admitted in a CBS interview that he immediately stripped the shooting officer, Jason Van Dyke, of his police powers. And, legally, that’s all he could do.

McCarthy’s actions could have been limited due to Article 8., Entitled – Employment Security. Section 8.1 states: “No Officer covered by this Agreement shall be suspended, relieved from duty or otherwise disciplined in any manner without just cause.”

Article 6.1F states:

“The length of interrogation sessions will be reasonable, with reasonable interruptions permitted for personal necessities, meals, telephone calls and rest.”

Article 6.1H states:

“An Officer under investigation will be provided with a copy of any and all statements he or she has made that are audio recorded or in writing within seventy-two hours of the time the statement was made. In the event a re-interrogation of the Officer is required within the seventy-two hour period following the initial interrogation, the Officer will be provided with a copy of any prior statements before the subsequent interrogation.”

Article 6.1L states:

“If an Officer provides a statement during the investigation conducted promptly following a shooting incident and then is later interrogated by the Employer, IPRA or IAD as part of an investigation related to such incident, the Officer shall be provided with a copy of the portion of any official report that purportedly summarizes his or her prior statement before the interrogation.”

Attorney Jon Loevy of Loevy and Loevy, one of the nation’s top civil rights litigators, has won his firm’s clients millions in settlements against the City of Chicago in police brutality and corruption cases.

Loevy says, “When ordinary citizens are accused of serious crimes such as killing people, the police aggressively interrogate their suspects, often obtaining incriminating information. When the police are accused of using inappropriate deadly force, they are treated very differently.”

For example, the contract provides “…that they are only to be interrogated while on duty, preferably during daylight hours. An officer must be given breaks to use the bathroom, eat, make phone calls, and rest during an interrogation. The length of the interrogation must be reasonable.”

“Two interrogators may not question an officer simultaneously, with the secondary interrogator only speaking when invited to by the primary, and only for follow-up questions. No more than two investigators may be present.”

“Interrogators may not say anything that “threatens” an officer (e.g., transfer, dismissal, or other disciplinary action) or offer a reward for providing information. A copy of all officer statements must be given to the officer within 72 hours. If he/she is interrogated again during that period, the officer must first be given a copy of his previous statements.”

Loevy noted that many of those same protections are not respected by the police when interrogating non-police officers.

Who Represented The People?

Former city attorney Mathew Piers, who worked in Harold Washington’s administration and was there shortly after the very first FOP contract was signed, saw potential problems originally and fought the unions, but to no avail.

“[Police] misconduct could cost the city millions with there being no repercussions for you as an individual (officer). That disconnect, I found it troubling then and I find it troubling now,” Piers said in an interview with the Chicago Reporter.

Thomas Pleines, General Counsel to the FOP from 1993 to 2011, and legal advisor to the Union’s negotiating team for the current contract said, “The media and the politicians were blaming ‘the FOP contract’ as being responsible for these perceived problems.”

“Specifically, the procedural protections of the contract (primarily Articles 6 & 8) were touted as tying the hands of the City in its efforts to prevent excessive force incidents, as well as questionable police shootings.”

“The City negotiators proposed various changes to the contract to address the concerns of the (City) Council and the Reverends. The Union put forth various proposals desired by its membership.”

The Chicago Defender reached out to the City of Chicago’s chief negotiator at that time, Attorney Darka Papushkewych, to gain insight into the process and to ask the questions: Who represented the interest of the People? And how did the city end up with a contract that some consider skewed in favor of the Union?

Attorney Papushkewych has retired from the city and now is the General Counsel at Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority. As of the Defender’s press time, she had not yet responded with answers to our questions.

IPRA Is A Problem

Official documents the Chicago Defender received through the FOIA, in short, state that to initiate an investigation of excessive use of force complaint or police-involved shooting, a CPD Supervisor or Commander prepares a report containing the allegations and refers it to IPRA.

Created in 2007 as an independent agency of the City of Chicago, separate from the CPD, IPRA’s mission is to “conduct fair, thorough and timely investigations into allegations of excessive force, domestic violence, weapons discharges, etc.”

Once IPRA receives a complaint, it creates a CR (Complaint Register) number; it then collects and reviews evidence, interviews witnesses and even has the power to subpoena.

In general, IPRA can take up to six months to conclude its investigation and submit its findings and recommendations back to the Police Superintendent, who can then agree or disagree, triggering another process which can add 90 more days to the investigation.

According to Attorney Loevy, “One of the most serious problems with the system for disciplining police misconduct is that the process is far too protracted. The IPRA investigations take too long and reject all but a tiny percentage of the allegations.

Even in the rare case where IPRA does recommend discipline, there are a number of opportunities to appeal, which not only takes years, but there are too many opportunities for police officials (such as the Supervisors or the Chief of Police) to overturn the recommendations.”

On page 106 of the contract is a letter from the FOP’s General Counsel, dated November 17, 2000, addressing the possibility of a DOJ investigation into “Pattern and Practice” litigation.

In the letter addressed to Darka Papushkewych, the Lodge shares its concerns that DOJ investigations in other cities have led to consent decrees being entered that impact the “collective bargaining agreement in effect.”

FOP’s Attorney Pleines said that at the time, “the city was dealing with some high profile and controversial events. In 1998 Officer James Comito and Matthew Thiel had an encounter with Jeremiah Mearday, which resulted in Mearday sustaining serious injury and allegations of excessive force after the officers beat him. Additionally, in 1999, there were two police shooting incidents involving LaTonya Haggerty being shot and killed by Officer Serena Daniels and a motorist named William Russ who was also shot and killed. There was a lot of media coverage of these three incidents and the community and the City Council were very vocal with their concerns about a lack of discipline and transparency.” The conclusion of the matter is that no DOJ investigation ever occurred. City

City Council Bought Bill Of Goods

However, 15 years later, we’re at the same junction, but now with an actual DOJ investigation currently underway.

Dean Angelo, the FOP’s current president, stated in an interview taken from the Chicago Reporter with Adeshina Emmanuel, that he wondered why aldermen were complaining about a FOP contract that they themselves approved.

Angelo asserts that the City Council had the opportunity to review the contract and stated, “I didn’t hear a word from any of them. I don’t know if those people read what they voted on. But if they didn’t read this contract before they voted on it and now are blaming us, shame on them.”

Attorney Loevy, when asked if he had hope that the current contract would be changed said “I have been asked that question for more than 10 years, and my answer has always been the same. Things will change only when the politicians decide it is worth spending the political capital to enact a more effective and efficient system for weeding out problem police officers.

The result is a disciplinary system that doesn’t work, which means that misconduct occurs more than it should. (But) people have finally had enough and are literally in the streets. The Mayor says he’s ready to make changes. I hope he means it.”

The Howard University Alumni Association of Chicago recognized and paid tribute to a couple of its very own members – the honorable Roland W. Burris and Donna Miller – during its second annual fund-raiser, the “Who’s Who Gala,” a special evening of fine dining, dancing and entertainment, at Crystal Light Banquets, 84th St. and S. Cicero Ave., located in southwest suburban Hickory Hills.

HUAAC members admit that they are committed to investing in the legacy of their alma mater and its local student body. No other investment, they believe, yields as great of a return as their investment in education. The goal this year was to raise a minimum of $25,000 to be utilized as an endowment for student scholarships, according to Danielle A. James, HUACC president, and Tiffany Watkins, HUACC vice president.

About the Honorees: Burris, an alumnus of the Howard University School of Law, was the first African-American elected to a statewide office in Illinois, as Illinois Comptroller. He went on to be elected the 39th Illinois Attorney General and has also served as a United States Senator for Illinois. An advocate for a national handgun ban, he helped to organize Chicago’s first successful Gun Turn-In Day.

Sen. Burris is involved in a number of organizations, including the Howard University Law School Alumni Association, the Southern Illinois University Foundation, the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago, the Chicago Area Council of Boy Scouts, the NAACP and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., among several others. He is married to Berlean M. Burris, PhD, and they are the parents of two children, Dr. Rolanda S. Burris and Atty. Roland W. Burris.
Donna Miller, a native of Chicago and a third generation Howard University graduate, is the current National Director of Multi-Cultural Markets with the American Heart Association, a position that combines her passion, professional experience and altruistic values.

Throughout Miller’s career, her colleagues confirm that she has made a decided difference to improve the lives of others based on her corporate experiences, professional organizations and community involvement proportionately affected by and disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and Sickle Cell Anemia.
Miller, who has interned on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and has also served as a Red Cross volunteer since early on during in her high school days, is married to Dr. David E. Daniel and they are the parents of two sons, Daniel and Don.

Celebrating 38 Years – Seven graduating high school seniors each picked up a check for $1,500 from the Ora Higgns Youth Foundation Board of Directors headed by Ruth M. Slaughter, president, a couple of weekends ago during its 38th Anniversary Awards Dinner staged at The Lexington House out in Hickory Hills. The event marked the finale of many hours, days and months of planning, dedication and preparation by a hard-working board of directors.

The late Ms. Higgins was employed at Spiegel’s – the big mail order biz — for many years and was responsible for the hiring of a number of African-American and other young minority women in the work place. When she finally did retire some 38 years ago it has been widely reported that she converted all of her retirement funds and established what is now known as the Ora Higgins Youth Foundation. What a treasure! What an outstanding treasure!

Newsy Names – “First Lady” Michelle Robinson Obama is this month’s “cover girl” on Redbook mag — helping female vets and sharing how we can all give back … Myiti Sengstacke-Rice, granddaughter of the late John H.H. Sengstacke, the late Chicago Defender editor and publisher, says the book, The Images of The Chicago Defender, which she helped edit, is being used in the African-American Studies courses at Kennedy-King College for the fall and spring semesters … A Meet/Greet was held on Sunday for Rev. Dr. David B. Thornton, new pastor of Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church, 600 E. 35th Street.

Fashion Focus – Jermikko, a favorite fashion designer specializing in outerwear and jackets, can be found both nationally and locally in such stores as Macy’s, My Sister’s Circus, Essential Elements and Miglio Di Mario Uomo. The collection was designed in soft plush wools and Italian faux fur. The showing was held at Gallery Uom o, 436 E. 47th St., Level 3.; (312) 536-1877. Like Jermikko on Facebook.

Happy B’Day Wishes – to the Chicago Defender’s hot-shot senior account exec Alvita Rhone, who celebrated with kin and friends Sunday at the newly-opened Epiphany (“A Taste of New Orleans”), 734 W. Fullerton, in Lincoln Park … Also to “Cousin Curtis Clay,” a no-nonsense Geek Squad technician at Best Buy on Roosevelt Rd., and to Dr. Frank Horton, a retired CPS principal (South Shore High School} and to William Love, Via Thomas and Lorenzo Clemons.

The legendary “Empress of Soul,” none other than Gladys Knight herself will lend her soulful pipes to the Chicago Urban League’s 51st Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner on to be staged Nov. 10 at the Hilton Chicago Hotel. At this year’s gala, themed We Are One: Connected, Committed for Chicago, it’s expected that a sellout crowd of 1,700-plus of Chicago’s business, civic, social and political leadership will witness as the Rev. Willie T. Barrow receives the coveted Edwin C. “Bill” Berry Civil Rights Award. The late Mr. Berry, who led the Chicago Urban League from 1956-1969, was a key leader in the civil rights movement. The Berry Award is given annually to leaders who make a mark through hard work, perseverance and creativity.

Known for her successful 50-year career, both as the lead singer of Gladys Knight & The Pips and as a solo artist, Gladys’ unassailable artistry has led to numerous hit recordings, Grammy Awards and has included triumphs on stage, screen and television. Previous local award winners: Linda Johnson Rice, chair, Johnson Publishing Co.; Hank R. Schwab, Holocaust survivor and civil rights activist; Cicely Tyson, stellar award-winning actress; the Rev. Addie L. Wyatt, equal rights trailblazer; and James R. Compton, who guided CUL from 1972 to 2006.

The 51st Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner, one of the city’s largest and most well-attended benefits, is co-chaired by four of the Windy City’s most civically engaged couples: Ellen M. Costello and Michael Judge; Joseph and Claire Gregoire; Sam and Dona Scott; and Charles and Lisa Tribbett. Committee co-chairs are Ralph Hughes and Joe Moore. The program will be hosted by Chicago comic Damon Williams, whose talent has been featured on television and radio including appearances on BET, Comedy Central, HBO and The Tom Joyner Morning Show.

Chicago Reception – Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, M.D. M.P.H., newly appointed director of the Ill. Dept. of Public Health, was the special guest of honor at a Welcome Reception last week at the Parkway Ballroom given by the Chicago Area Project and state Sen. Mattie Hunter.

The annual benefit kick-starts with cocktails at 6 p.m. and includes dinner, raffles, a silent auction of one-of-a-kind memorabilia and exclusive Motown Music by the Ultimate Concept Band. Monies raised from this event will benefit the AKArama Foundation-Scholarship Programs, Community Outreach Programs which include but are not limited to Technology, Senior Programs, Women’s Health Initiative and Economic Development Programs for residents of the Woodlawn and Englewood communities. For $100 tickets or donation info, contact (773) 363-6220.

Condolences – to the family of a good buddy, Otto Bradford, retired south suburban high school principal, former treasurer of the City of Markham and an Alpha, who passed last week. Our sympathy goes out to his daughter, Wanda Bradford; son, Dietrich; and his special friend, Anna Francis (“Fran”) Gibbs. Visitation is Thursday, 4-8 p.m., Holt Funeral Home, 175 W. 159th St., in Harvey; funeral, Friday, 11 a.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 13939 S. Claire Blvd., in Robbins.

Newsy Names – Happy b’day to a favorite octogenarian, awe-inspiring educator and inspirational motivator, Dr. Carrie Filer Davis, who loves assisting young folk and providing scholarships via her National Women of Achievement, Inc. organization. She just returned from a NWOA Leadership Conference in Houston, and soon will be cruisin’ the Caribbean with her kin to celebrate her natal day “Dr. Carrie style.” She inspires us all! …

The 48th Chicago International Film Festival will present the Founder’s Award to acclaimed filmmaker and Chicagoan Robert Zemeckis and his latest movie “Flight” on Closing Night, Thursday, at 7 p.m., at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. The Founder’s Award is given to that one film across all categories that capture the spirit of the Chicago International Film Festival for its unique and innovative approach to the art of the moving image.

Panel Talk — Eta Creative Arts Foundation presents a panel discussion exploring plays from the Black theatre canon that are reflective of an African American blues aesthetic. Shades of Blues: A Conversation on the Classic Works of August Wilson and Lonne Elder III from a Blues (Music) Perspective takes place Nov. 3, 4-6 p.m., at The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St, @ Drexel Blvd., room 801.

Discussants are Dr. Ken Warren, University of Chicago, and Dr. Mikell Pinkney, University of Florida; moderator is Lincoln Beauchamp, Jr., aka Chicago Beau. Free and open to the public, it is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Race, Politics & Culture and the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago and eta Creative Arts Foundation. For information, call (773) 752-3955 or visit http://www.etacreativearts.org.

As the 2012 President’s Election fast approaches, the Chicago Chapter of National Ass’n of Black Journalists (NABJ) will explore the challenges and oppositions that confronted President Barack Obama once the glow of his historic 2008 election wore off — from the efforts by some to verify voting eligibility to the Tea Party effect and its “birther” movement to plans to discredit President Obama among white voters by reminding them of his link with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr.This Wednesday, Oct. 10, 6-8 p.m., NABJ Chicago and Columbia College Chicago present a panel, Racism and the Presidency: A Failed Strategy, moderated by Maudlyne Ihejirika, Sun-Times reporter, at the college, 33 E. Congress (at Wabash), in room C-101. Panelists: Monroe Anderson, former Tribune political reporter, blogger and press secretary to Mayor Harold Washington; Kimbriell Kelly, editor-publisher, The Chicago Reporter; and Charles Butler, conservative political radio talk show host (WIND and formerly WVON). Admission is free for NABJ members; $5 for non-members.Political commentators and pundits have been blatantly racist in their comments, and even some military officers have been disrespectful in their statements and actions. These, among others, are failed strategies, says Melissa Perry-Harris, MSNBC’s news anchor. What does this blatant disrespect of the Office of the President say about racism in our country today? Are we really on the eve of a post-racial America? Come out and hear the panel’s views!

Congrats – to a fave friend, Bill Williams, on his retirement as l-o-o-o-o-n-g-time vice president of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. He celebrates “big time” Oct. 30 at a gigantic McCormick Place farewell shindig hosted in his honor by the City of Chicago, he proudly boasts … Also congrats to Kenneth Hill, founder/president of Chicago Pre-College Science & Engineering Program (ChiS&E). He was honored by his alma mater, Howard U., when Chicago Alumni Club hosted an Inaugural Who’s Who Gala …

Bronzeville Art – A new art exhibit, Dreams in Jay-Z Minor opened in Bronzeville Friday at Blanc Gallery, 4445 S. King Dr., (thru Dec. 29), featuring nationally acclaimed Chicago-based artists Armanda Williams and Krista Franklin’s interpretation of the music of the rapper, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur who has had such a significant impact upon popular culture. Exhibit title came from the discovery that both artists were simultaneously dreaming about Jay-Z and what his music means to them and their culture. It’s part of Chicago Artists Month, which will give art patrons a chance to come to Bronzeville to see the exciting, extraordinary quality happening in the community as well as the vibrant art scene at Blanc Gallery.The exhibit, curated by Camille Morgan and sponsored by Ill. Service Federal, explores upward mobility and aspirations of people of African descent in America and worldwide, Black excellence and excess. A variety of mediums are used: paintings, handmade paper, print, altered books and collage. Visit http://www.blancchicago.com.

Attn: Jazz Junkies! – It’s where such famous jazz and blues legends, such as Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie, The Adderley Brothers (Cannonball and Nat), Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, John Coltrane, Etta James, Muddy Waters, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday. et al, and others were centerstage — the Sutherland Lounge in the hotel of the same name at 4657 S. Drexel Blvd. It was one of the first integrated hotels in Chicago, opened to Black patrons in 1952. In later years, the lounge and hotel meeting spaces were headquarters for local Black politicians and civil rights groups.It re-opens Oct. 13-14, OpenHouseChicago weekend, as Chicago Blues Museum, presenting Architects of Jazz: The Sutherland Lounge Exhibit, launching the official re-opening of the Sutherland Ballroom. During the 50s and 60s it was the city’s experimental jazz scene. The weekend programming includes rare uncut blues and jazz performances of the past played as tributes by today’s musicians. The free programs are open to the public. Hours: Sat.,10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m. Call (773) 723-5031 or visit .

For Scholarships – Seven local academically qualified students pursuing post-secondary studies at a college or university will share $10,000 in scholarships when The Ora Higgins Youth Foundation celebrates its 36th Anniversary on Saturday noon at The Sabre Room, 8900 W. 95th St., in Hickory Hills. Also leadership awards will go to three distinguished citizens who are making major contributions to the growth and development of today’s urban youth. The late Mrs. Higgins was the great-great aunt or Michelle Robinson Obama, “first lady” of the United States, and as an honor grad of Whitney Young High School was a Higgins Scholarship recipient.

Honorary Status – Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management, was inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, during a ceremony held in Los Angeles. The sorority’s highest lifetime tribute is extended to illustrious women of noteworthy achievements, says Carolyn House Stewart, AKA’s international president, who adds that since its founding in 1908, the sorority has extended honorary membership to only a select few. Also inducted: Suzanne Malveaux, CNN anchor; Carolyn Maull McKinstry, activist, author and survivor of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Ala.

Diane Latiker, Tio Hardiman, Tim King, Dr. Doriane Miller and the Chicago Music Association/NANM all receive honors at eta Creative Arts Foundation’s Annual Benefit Gala on Sept. 8, featuring fabulous food, dancing, live entertainment and an awards ceremony. General chairs are Les F. Bond Jr., CEO, Attucks Asset Management, and Atty. Anthony Schumann, owner, Grant Schumann, LLC. Coordinating chairs: sisters Gloria Jenkins-Harvey and Lola Jenkins of the Westside Association for Community Action (WACA). Event data: 7 p.m. – midnight at eta Square, 7558 South Chicago Ave. Contribution is only $125. For tickets and info, call (773) 752-3955 or visit http://www.etacreativearts.org .“Our honorees this year all exemplify the power within each individual to effect change,” says Phillip Thomas, eta president. “Each is using their particular discipline – music, education, medicine, activism and theater — to make a difference in their communities. Each is an example of what it takes to ‘resurrect spirit and reclaim community,’ the gala’s theme.Activist Diane Latiker single-handedly took the major step of opening her home to the young people in Roseland, offering them a safe haven and a sanctuary for mentoring. Community organizer Tio Hardiman took an award-winning program proven to reduce violence and expanded it, including piloting a highly specialized violence intervention program that mediates conflict on the “front end” instead of on the “back end.”Educator Tim King challenged the status quo by creating all-male charter public high schools in Chicago that for two years straight have sent 100 percent of graduating classes to four-year colleges or universities. Dr. Doriane Miller, M.D. successfully used theater to address the issue of depression in youth due to exposure to violence, and solutions for healing. Chicago Music Association, Branch #1 of the National Association of Negro Musicians Inc. is being recognized “for preserving all genres of the music of African Americans.”Held annually on the first Saturday after Labor Day, the festive gala features a silent auction, fine wine and champagne pull, a scrumptious soulful buffet catered by Fanfares by Faye, an open bar, dancing to live and recorded music, other entertainment including Muntu Dance Theatre, Khalidah’s North African Dance Experience, karaoke, “Land of 100 Dances” and more. The highlight of the evening: the presentation of awards.Established in April, 1971, eta is the first full cultural arts complex in the African American community. Widely known as one of the city’s leading nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, eta’s mission is to be a major cultural resource institution for the preservation, perpetuation and promulgation of the African American aesthetic nationwide. It provides professional training and performance opportunities for youth and adults, artists and technicians; arts-in-education programs; a visual arts gallery for the display and sale of original artwork, and exposure for the general public to authentic valid projections of African American lifestyles, experiences and aspirations.

Ooops! My Bad! – “An Evening of Jazza-Palooza” hosted free by Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Otis Moss (Monica) and Trinity United Church of Christ is this Friday, Aug. 24, 5 p.m., – not Saturday! (as reported here last edition) – in TUCC’s main parking lot, 94th & Eggleston. (Thanks, Denise!) Gates open at 4 o’clock; live entertainment at 5, beginning with a pre-show poetry jam. Music by Smith Song Stylings, Tracye Smith, Roxanne Stevenson Band, Taylor Moore & Friends, Michael Ross Quintet, Ken Chaney Xperience w/Ari Brown.Bring lawn seats, picnic eats, soft drinks, family and friends for what promises to be a wonderful evening of contemporary music under the stars! Also kindly bring a canned good in support of Operation Food Share where Trinity donates full Thanksgiving dinners to families in the Chicago area and Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Journalists’ Jam – Mix and mingle, nosh and network with some of our town’s top journalists and communicators this Thursday, 6-8:30 p.m., at the Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists’ End-of-Summer Soiree in the swanky setting of the new Chicago Hilton Towers’ 720 South Bar located on the northeast corner of the hotel lobby.“Hang” with colleagues from the Chicago Defender, CBS-2, ABC-7, NBC-5, Jet and Ebony magazines, WFLD-TV, WBEZ-FM and WGN-TV. You certainly don’t want to miss out on some valuable face time with fellow journalists, especially Jet Mag’s Kyra Kyles, Chicago NABJ prexy. New members are encouraged to join us to make valuable career and social connections. Complimentary hors d?oeuvres and cash bar. See you there!

Influential thought leaders are joining with the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. this week for the 41st national dialogue on civil rights sponsored by Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund. Running through Saturday at the Chicago Hilton & Towers

Influential thought leaders are joining with the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. this week for the 41st national dialogue on civil rights sponsored by Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund. Running through Saturday at the Chicago Hilton & Towers Hotel, the confab Is themed A More Perfect Union: Closing the Gap and Expanding the Tent. It will once again bring leaders together in an innovative exchange of ideas.

The convention is focusing in-depth on the challenges facing the shrinking middle class and expanding poor while cultivating real solutions for economic recovery, leading up to the 2012 presidential election. RPC continues to declare the movement for social justice, women’s rights, workers’ rights and civil rights and civil rights legitimate, necessary and worth preserving.

Among just some of the prominent folk in an international plenary celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the African National Congress; John R. Rogers, chair and CEO, Ariel Investments, and Diane Swonk, chief economist, Mesirow Financial Services, co-moderating a Wednesday CFO Roundtable; Judge Greg Mathis, PUSH Excel chair, distributing some $250,000 in college scholarships; Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts keynoting Wednesday’s business lunch with remarks by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and His Excellency Dr. Kweli Mkhize of the Republic of South Africa; Bruce Heyman, managing director, Goldman Sachs. Dr. Bill Winston, pastor of Living Word Christian Center, keynotes the ministers’ luncheon, and later on NASCAR’s first and only African American female racecar driver, Tia Norfleet, headlines the athletic banquet that will also honor NBA legend, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

Friday will focus on health, women’s and education issues; Dr. Julianne Malveaux, former president of Bennett College, an economist, author, liberal social and political commentator and businesswoman who is well known for her left-wing political opinion, and Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, vice president of public affairs and government relations at the Nielsen Co., will moderate a “Women of Power” discussion. The summit ends with the Saturday Morning Broadcast addressing escalating violence in urban communities. Speakers: the Rev. Jackson, Dr. Charles Ogletree, director of the Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School, and

Legacy Celebration – Ed and Betty Gardner, beloved co-founders of Soft Sheen Products, Chicago’s business pioneers and philanthropists, will be honored at a Street Sign Dedication Unveiling Ceremony on Thursday, 12:30 p.m., at 8830 S. Dobson, former site of South Sheen Products, to recognize their contributions to the city, especially the founding of Black on Black Love. A Reception at WVON Radio, 1000 E. 87th St., will conclude the festivities.

Making Aware – Grammy nominee Charlie Wilson and author Andrea King Collier (The Black Woman’s Guide to Black Men’s Health) share info on prostate cancer (he’s a survivor) and what we can do to take action against the disease on July 28, 10 a.m.-noon, at Trinity United Church of Christ, 400 W. 95th St. All are welcome! RSVP toll-free to (1) 855 213-9634. Free entry! Light refreshments!

Movin’ On! – With over a couple of decades of sales and marketing experience under her belt, via radio, special events, print and building/cultivating client relationships, Leanne Muller Wharton is on to a new chapter in her life – that of sales and marketing manager at Little Black Pearl Art/Design Center. She worked for Monica Haslip, the founder and executive director, as an art teacher in the late 90’s for a couple years.

The lesson learned: never burn a bridge because you never know when it will come back around where paths cross again. And now, Leanne says she’s more poised to assist Monica in taking LBP to the next level and she’s so very excited about the possibilities! Plus she’s passionate about the students, the programs, and the events LBP has to offer the community – and the business community as well!

On Air! – The H30/Art of Life Show, presented by OMNI U. which airs every Friday on CAN-TV (Ch. 19) at 8:30 p.m. and repeats the following Sunday at 3:30 p.m., is hosted and produced by Dr. Gloria Latimore Peace. Friday’s show, An Autobiography of Jazz Unites, features Geraldine Bey DeHass, JU’s founder, and Debra Hand, the producer’s award-winning sculptor and daughter.

Anniversary Annals! – Let’s all reminisce with radio legend RichardSteele as he celebrates 25 years “On Air” on July 18, 5:30-9:30 p.m., amidst an array
of current and past colleagues, good food, tasty beverages and great tunes all set on the beautiful back drop of Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline at the WBEZ studios at Navy Pier. RSVP: to BETH@SILVERMANGROUPCHICAGO.COM no later than Friday.

Richard is an award-winning producer and radio personality on the Arts & Culture Desk of WBEZ 91.5FM, where he contributes interviews and reports to Eight Forty-Eight, Morning Edition, Worldview, Afternoon Shift, All Things Considered, wbez.org, and special programming. In particular, Steele is a regular voice on Eight Forty-Eight, each Thursday showcasing a variety of music connected to a specific theme (a format launched in February to commemorate Black History Month). Since joining WBEZ as staff announcer/host on July 15, 1987, he has hosted a number of acclaimed programs over the years, including The Richard Steele Show, A Richard Steele Friday, Page Two, Performance Space and most recently, Eight Forty-Eight.

Prior to joining WBEZ, Richard hosted many successful Chicago radio programs, including The Morning Connection on WVAZ 102.7 FM and Late Night, a talk and music forum on WGCI 1390 AM. He has hosted popular shows on WBMX 102.7 and WVON 1450 AM, and became “The Real Steele” on WGRT (950 AM) AM, where he progressed to program director shortly after the station’s transition to WJPC 950 AM. Richard is vice president and board member of the local American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and a board member of the Chicago Association of Black Journalists. He attended Harold Washington College in Chicago. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, he resides in South Shore with his wife, Jera. They have two children and four grandchildren. See ya next Wednesday!